Michael Cohen pleads guilty, says Trump directed him to commit campaign finance crimes

Trump's longtime personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to eight federal counts, including campaign finance violations, and told a federal court that Trump directed him to make illegal payments to silence women during the 2016 campaign. Cohen stated under oath that he arranged payments to Stormy Daniels ($130,000) and Karen McDougal ($150,000) "in coordination with and at the direction of a candidate for federal office" - clearly referring to Trump. Cohen's attorney Lanny Davis stated: "Today he stood up and testified under oath that Donald Trump directed him to commit a crime by making payments to two women for the principal purpose of influencing an election. If those payments were a crime for Michael Cohen, then why wouldn't they be a crime for Donald Trump?" The guilty plea directly implicated Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator in federal crimes, marking a major escalation in legal jeopardy for a sitting president.

"I participated in this conduct, which on my part took place in coordination with and at the direction of a candidate for federal office." — August 21, 2018 statement in federal court pleading guilty to campaign finance violations, referring to Trump directing illegal hush money payments